Newbie at 69

  1. Dolph
    Dolph
    Evening all, very much a newbie here.. recently purchased a lower end Loar 110 A.
    And just received the set up pdf from Rob Meldrum (Thank you Rob) Will be working on that. Books I am using are Alfred and Mayor Mandolin Tutor. Looking forward to many years of enjoyment!!!
  2. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    Welcome, Dolph! My first mandolin was a The Loar and I got bought it at age 68-11/12, which rounds off to 69. So we have a lot in common already. I certainly am still having fun five years later. I may even play a little better now, too.

    Don't hesitate to ask questions or let us know how you are tackling the learning process.
  3. Stacey Morris
    Stacey Morris
    Welcome, Dolph. Enjoy the journey!
  4. Sleet
    Sleet
    It's much cooler to be 69 with a mandolin than without one. Hope you love it.
  5. Dolph
    Dolph
    Thanks all for words of encouragement.. looking forward to posting more as I learn.
  6. Sue Rieter
    Sue Rieter
    Lotta people starting in their 60's or so. Glad to see I'm in good company.
    Sue
  7. anniewild
    anniewild
    Just started with my first mandolin at almost 66, glad to know that I have company along this journey!
  8. Ed McGarrigle
    Ed McGarrigle
    After multiple failed attempts, at 66 a little is starting to stick. And better or us than a lot of behaviors I’ve seen some cohorts pick up over the years .
  9. darnedsox
    darnedsox
    'nother newbie @ 70 here. Just bought a mando and looking to learn. Any tips directions and advice..where and how to start etc is wayyyy welcome. I wanna keep it fun, but willing to work
    Bill
  10. darnedsox
    darnedsox
    doub;e post
    sorry
  11. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    I started with a lot of visits to www.mandolessons.com . Starting with his lessons on basics and then working on various tunes. Good, clear, instructions. Free, too. I still consult his website for specific tunes and to review lessons on technique.

    I'm still having fun, too.

    Welcome to the oldie newbies!
  12. Sherry Cadenhead
    Sherry Cadenhead
    I'm a happy member of this starting-at-60+ club. What a joy it's been to play music during the pandemic!
  13. Hammerless
    Hammerless
    Hi Folks,
    I'm glad to learn that I'm not the only six decade plus newbie to the mandolin (63; just started learning 4-5 weeks ago). On other posts I explained my crappy mandolin issues; they are now resolved! Last Friday I received, from TMS, a new Kentucky 276 and I love it! This instrument sounds great to my novice ears and is so much easier to fret. Besides mandolessons.com I've got a copy of Mandolin for Dummies. I'm still plugging through consistent strumming and smooth three finger chord changes but still enjoying it.
  14. NDO
    NDO
    I guess I’m just a young buck starting at only 55!
  15. Mark Gunter
    Mark Gunter
    I'm a young 66 now, so I must have been about 61 when I started, though I had been playing guitar for about 50 years at that point. After 5 years of mandolin, I'm still very much hooked and still looking forward to a lifetime of learning. www.mandolessons.com and www.bradleylaird.com were the ones who got me started, along with eventually buying lessons from www.banjobenclark.com and www.homespun.com - and jawing with people in the newbies group, working on the tune of the month, and recording my progress all helped me along in this journey which is really just beginning 5 years in.

    Welcome to all the old newbies, hope you stay involved and have a blast.
  16. MrMoe
    Belated welcome Dolph ! there is a wealth of knowledge in the Café forum. I have been looking for some time and find new and helpful info almost every day. I am another youngster in this thread at 57, which is fun!. Very much a newbie player trying again left handed after some injury's. Enjoy the journey. Best Regards, Maurice
  17. JeffLearman
    JeffLearman
    I'll add my name to the list of old fart newbies. I'm 63, and my wife gave me a kit for Valentine's day that I'm about to get seriously started on. When it's done, I'll be a newbie. But I've played keyboards and guitars since age 10 or so, so I have some background to build on. (Plus now ukulele, another kit I reently got as a gift. That's an easy step from guitar!)

    My biggest issue is a bad case of "essential tremor" that makes it harder to play, and that is getting worse every year. The good news is that playing makes it better. So does drinking. I actually have a recommendation from a doctor about that, in writing. "For medicinal purposes!"
  18. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    Welcome to the bunch, Jeff. Go easy on the medicine. ET's are better than DT's.

    Keep us up to date on your mandolin kit.
  19. NDO
    NDO
    Welcome Jeff! And thanks for sharing your wisdom on the other threads, you may be a mando newbie but clearly your a seasoned musician we can learn from!
  20. JeffLearman
    JeffLearman
    Thanks guys! No worries about DTs. Once I've had a couple drinks I forget to keep drinking.

    You can follow the Saga saga here: https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...for-Saga-AM-10 . Hope to get started in earnest next week. But it might be delayed; I'm on prednisone for a mild bronchial infection and I can hardly hold my hands still enough to type. Good thing I don't have any soldering to do.

    Regarding seasoned musician: I can say with confidence that I've made a whole lotta mistakes, so there's definitely something to be learned from that.
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